Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has aimed a veiled swipe at Brendan Rodgers after the Liverpool boss fielded a weakened team against Real Madrid.

Skipper Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling were named on the bench as the Reds fell to a 1-0 Champions League defeat in Group B at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday morning (Singapore time), presumably with Rodgers keeping in mind that his side will host Chelsea in the English Premier League on Saturday.

While Mourinho refrained from outwardly criticising his former protege, the Portuguese tactician did put a sly word in by claiming that he would rather not show up at a match if he felt he was going to lose it.

Mourinho said: "If Liverpool decide to rest players when they play against the European champions, it's a question for the Liverpool manager - it's not a question for me.

"I don't speak about Liverpool. I speak about myself. If one day I go to a game and I don't feel I can win, maybe I don't go.

"Normally, against the most difficult opponents, normally I will try to go with my best team."